...the summoner is definitely unprofessional. You can tell by the way her room's full of pink fluffy things and dolls and drawings.

"Fairy!" a small child cries, and runs up to cling to her legs.

The second thing Morgan might notice is the fact that the pink fluffy things are all strewn about, there is random destruction everywhere, it is raining really hard, and every now and then there is a tremor that causes more things to fall and more generalized destruction.

"Help me fairy! Make the bad monster go away!"

"I'm—I'm Mary," she sobs, hiding her face on Morgan's skin.

Morgan pets her hair.

"Okay Mary," she says in a soothing voice. "What's your last name, too? I want to be sure I can find you."

"O'Brien," she says, and sniffles.

"Okay. I'll go make the monster go away, it'll be okay."

Does Mary's room have a window? She'd rather not deal with parents that are overwhelmingly likely to be concerned about an unbound fairy running around that was summoned by their daughter.

Well, if she looked for Mary's parents, she would most definitely find out at least 80% of the reason she was crying. But as it happens, there is a window, pelted by the rain but not (yet) broken.

So that's her exit -

Another tremor shakes the ground. She frowns. She looks at Mary. If she dies, that's it, Morgan can't help anymore.

"Do you and your parents have a safe place to go?"

Ah.

That makes things very clear.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," she murmurs, and she gently reaches down to offer Mary a hug that will lead into picking her up to take her elsewhere. "I'm going to get you somewhere safe and then make the monster go away, okay?"

She buries her face in Morgan's hair and nods, still crying.

Morgan gently picks her up with only mostly her arms and opens the window, and out she goes.

She stops the rain before it hits them - like rain hitting a windshield, but without the noise of it or the windshield. No use letting the child be disturbed anymore.

Is there a place that looks obviously safe nearby? Or does she need to fly her away further?

She will handle the giant superfast silhouette later. Child that is necessary for Morgan to continue being here first.

"I'm going to, fairy step," she says, because 'I am going to move us and the air around us very very fast while compensating for whiplash' is a bit much for a small child, "and we'll move very fast, but it's perfectly safe. I need to get you away from the monster before I make it go away."

She nods again and clings harder.

And they go very fast, but the wind doesn't hurt them at all. And they don't get rained on. Sort of like being in a car, except a bit more fun.

She'll err on the side of caution for getting the kid away. Get her to where it isn't raining anymore. Are there safe looking places where it isn't raining?

...no.

It is an island.

It is raining everywhere on the island, and a ways away from it as well.

There is also a tidal wave coming from that-a-way.

...

The tidal wave can stop its shit right now.

Yeah, she'll be back, that just particularly pissed her off.

Fly fly fly away from the island she doesn't know Earth all that well and can't really figure out where they are but she can get them away from here.

(She's nearly certain that it's a fairy causing havoc. A demon could make the tidal wave, and maybe the earthquakes too if they were very creative, but not pull off the super-speed. So this is a fairy she's dealing with. Problematic, makes it hard to pick up the fairy and drag them into space for a time out, but she bets she can manage it.)

Safe-looking place now?

Well she's pretty fast, eventually she will find a safe-looking place, a harbor and a city with actual people in it and no monster destroying it.

Oh, good. She starts looking for a police station, from up in the air.

... She should probably get this kid to not mention summoning a fairy to anyone, lest they get very concerned and a bit overzealous. Summoners can sometimes get a bit trigger happy when they think there's a chance of a rogue daeva.

What's a convincing way to tell her not to talk about summoning a fairy?

Probably just asking, honestly.

"Hey," says Morgan, "can you do something for me, Mary?"

Mary looks up at the fairy and nods. She's not openly crying anymore but her eyes are puffy and red and she's sniffling.

"Can you keep me a secret? I'm worried that people might get scared if you say you summoned a fairy. You can still say I'm a fairy. Just - saying you summoned one might scare people, and things are scary enough right now, aren't they?"

She nods again many times. She doesn't seem to want to speak much.

"Can you find someone to take care of this girl?" asks Morgan. "Her name's Mary O'Brien." She doesn't say 'her parents are dead' but from her expression it could be surmised.

The lady furrows her brows. The fact that the both of them aren't soaked through means that her provenance isn't as obvious. "We can. Where are her legal guardians?" The girl doesn't react to that; apparently it does not occur to her that those would be her parents.

...

"We came from the island," she says, by way of explanation. She surmises that the woman would figure it out from there.

She does! And takes the child off Morgan's hands.

...well it does not seem to express many feelings either way. It reacts very quickly to its new surroundings in the most destructive possible way, turning around a lot and using its large tail to hit things.

See, no, that's not what they're doing here. The monster stays (relatively) still, despite its pushing. What's happening here is experiment time. How does one kill a monster? She's ever so curious. Can she, for example, rip it limb from limb?

Mmmmnope. The monster is overall pretty dense, so crushing the external layers into themselves: not terribly helpful.

The tall humanoid thing seems to be almost expecting it and doges it easily, then uses its own version of moving things to bring the lizard thing closer to itself.

And it starts moving back toward the Earth.

The people in the funny costumes are busy helping people on the island. Some look clearly poised for the fight to resume, though the rain and sea aren't acting in unnatural ways anymore.

...also it is clearly the past. That. That is a thing Morgan might notice now that she has stopped to look.

There are some people in funny costumes who seem to be issuing orders. One of them is a dude in a blue skintight bodysuit with white lightning on it and a blue mask covering the upper half of his face.

The person looks at her sympathetically, but then takes in the wings and the fact that it seems like she, well, like she just entered the atmosphere at high speed, and looks—confused. "Did you just get your powers?" he asks, trying to sound gentle.

"I've, had some time with them, but - okay, I was the one that picked up the water, lizard thing, and took it to space? And then something else showed up that was doing, something to my head and what was that did it fuck with me do you know."

He blinks many times very rapidly then touches an earpiece and says, "Alexandria, Eidolon, I think you will want to come here."

To Morgan: "Was the something else humanoid, with lots of wings and feathers, possibly carrying junk with it?"

"Yes. I tried to hit it with the lizard and it dodged it like it knew I was going to do it. And then I ran, because I know when I am outmatched and I was very very outmatched." Pause. "Had a good try at killing the lizard, though, I think I was making progress."

The man takes a few seconds to get his bearings. "The fact that you managed to send it away—thank you for that, by the way, you've saved countless lives and probably this whole island. Its name is Leviathan, and its friend is the Simurgh, and I am very curious about how you speak English and don't know those names." Alexandria arrives. "Do you know how long you spent with the Simurgh's song in your head?"

    "The Simurgh?" Alexandria arrives, then looks at Morgan. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

"Apparently this young lady moved Leviathan somewhere and the reason the Simurgh disappeared was to go after and rescue him."

Alexandria looks at the guy who has neglected to introduce himself. "The Simurgh was probably predicting something like this was going to happen."

    "How fast can you fly and move things?" not-introduced-guy asks.

New person, in a hooded cloak with a flat metal mask illuminated in green—presumably Eidolon—arrives as well, and Alexandria catches him up.

"I can't break lightspeed," she says. "Aside from that? Uh." She smiles a bit. "Do you have other monster problems that might be solved by a field trip to space?"

"Yes," the three of them say simultaneously, differing in tone. Eidolon's voice echoes eerily.

"Are you from another Earth?" asks Alexandria.

"Well, if you don't know about the Endbringers you're probably not from Bet nor Aleph, but we didn't know there were any more portals anywhere around."

   "...I'm Legend, by the way," Legend introduces himself, realizing the probably doesn't know who he is if she doesn't know about Endbringers either. "How did you arrive here?"

They are very familiar with talking about things in less public places.

Legend looks around. "I will oversee the remaining disaster relief efforts here, if you have damaged Leviathan enough that the Simurgh saw fit to go rescue him he's not likely to return."

    "We can find a private place to talk about it and Legend will join us later," Alexandria says.

"... I mean, I can also help with disaster relief efforts," she points out, "because I can move arbitrary matter that I can see with my mind. Explaining things can wait, if you don't mind?"

"How likely is it that other people like you will come here, or that people from here will go to where you're from?" Alexandria asks after both Legend and Eidolon look at her for a second.

"I don't think it's at all possible that people from here can get to where I came from." Pause. "... But it might be possible that other people like me can get here, or, um. Be brought here."

Alexandria thinks about this, then looks at Legend, who says, "We will be very glad to have your help."

"Okay. I don't know what your systems are like, so - I'm fine with playing minion. Tell me what to do."

Both Alexandria and Eidolon go off to do things, and Legend says, "Come with me, I'll get you a comm device and we'll be able to direct you places where you'll be useful."

Not needing sleep is uncommon but not unheard of. Not needing sleep but needing coffee not to be affected by sleepiness is unheard of, but well within parahuman parameters of (ab)normality. And her help speeds the process up considerably and Legend asks her several times if she really is sure she doesn't need a break.

Well, she promises to explain things later. Relief efforts now! Whee helping people.

People are helped! Eventually her help can be reasonably replaced by decentralized normal-human and—parahuman efforts without loss in efficiency.

Well, then she can now go explain things. In private. Is there a suitably private location?

"What exactly is your powerset, in full detail?" asks Eidolon.

Eidolon nods, both he and Alexandria inscrutable.

Legend looks a bit disbelieving, though. The last time a cape claimed to be a fairy... "If that's the full extent of your powers, how did you manage to injure Leviathan?"

It is Legend's turn to be stunned into silence.

"The Simurgh has not returned yet," Alexandria says. "Do you need to be present near the things you move to move them? You said you're limited by the speed of light. Are your perceptions as well? If you moved the Endbringers far enough and fast enough that your and their time no longer passed at approximately the same rate, would you still be able to move them?"

"I don't need to be present with the things I move to move them, but it helps me aim. Every scrap of accuracy I can get I will try for, when I'm working with things that fast. My perceptions are standard human, though without the annoying issues - I don't need glasses, my vision's perfect. Peak physical health, but that's about it. And, yes, but keep in mind that if I move something that fast without going with it, it is not going to be an issue for very long unless a parahuman has like. Really fast portals that I can look through to keep moving them, or something that'll count for sight instead of cameras, or something." Pause. "How much do you know about physics? I can talk physics."

"I know a lot about physics, but since parahumans appeared there's been less of a consensus on what the word means."

    Legend looks at Alexandria. "...are we limited by physics anyway?" he asks, looking at her meaningfully.

Alexandria sighs and looks at Morgan. "There might be a better option."

"Oh?" says Morgan. "Do tell."

"It is not a resource we can afford to make known, but in combination with your powers it would be... very shortsighted of us not to use it," Alexandria says carefully. "How were you planning to return to your world?"

"In that case the first order of business is guaranteeing your summoner won't do either of those things. Who and where are they?"

"That's reasonable, but you certainly have heard enough that whatever we may actually be like the fact that we have humanity's well-being as a priority should be fairly obvious. But as a show of good faith, this is our resource. Door."

A square of light appears mid-air behind the heroes and expands into a three dimensional structure: the inside of a well-lit hallway without the outside.

Alexandria nods at Legend. "We'll make sure she's safe. For now, though, this is a private enough location. If you'll come with us?" She gestures at the hallway.

Alexandria and Eidolon follow her in.

It's a rush. The air pressure changes suddenly, and it feels like she's actually traversed the space between where she was and where she is very very fast.

Alexandria leads the way.

"Approximately. Not everyone has the potential to get them, but those who do will get them when put under sufficient stress," Alexandria explains as she finds her way through the maze.

Well, if she doesn't share her guesses with the rest of the class they can't comment on it!

Eventually they reach a room, where a woman with a doctor's lab coat is waiting with another, much younger lady in an utilitarian black suit. Both stand up, and the former says, "Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the Doctor." She extends her hand to Morgan.

"Please, sit," she says, and takes a seat herself. The woman with her doesn't say anything and doesn't take a seat, though. Both Alexandria and Eidolon do. "I heard you have quite useful powers and are responsible for Leviathan's disappearance and the Simurgh's odd behavior." She has a slight French accent, barely noticeable.

"Everything, I do believe. You see, we've been working for years on getting rid of the Endbringers with little success. At the current rate, our estimates are that we will be facing an end-of-the-world scenario in approximately thirty years."

"From the Endbringers? How often do they show up?"

"Once every two to four months. The same Endbringer never attacks twice in a row since Leviathan showed up. I'm not sure if you know, but our version of Japan has been mostly destroyed by Leviathan, with Kyushu having been completely sunk. You probably saved Newfoundland from a similar fate, but Behemoth has caused similarly extensive damage and it's basically impossible to gauge how much the Simurgh has affected."

"Only in that he can't see the future or affect people's minds," Alexandria says. "He's fifteen feet taller than Leviathan, and a dynakinetic."

"If you work through telescopes it might be possible to do something about the Simurgh before she can properly affect you or retaliate. We have to assume whatever plans she has already take you into account."

Another nod. "I'll try whatever looks promising with her, so long as she doesn't have a chance to get in my head again. If I can get her out of the solar system she'll have a hell of a time getting back without my level of telekinesis. And Behemoth can come with me on a field trip for scientific experimentation into killing Endbringers - is there a way you could get me some sort of device that will help with navigating in space? Otherwise I have to keep Earth in view so I don't get hopelessly lost."

"I had another idea."

"Oh?"

"We're not on the same Earth you arrived in."

"And we have access to universes that do not have an Earth in them," the Doctor says.

"That's useful. Are you able to check for other sentient species?"

"We're able to check for lack of obvious signs of sentient species within a certain radius, to the same extent we're pretty sure there aren't any at least in solar systems near ours."

"Doormaker can open doors from pretty much anywhere to anywhere else, but he's effectively deaf and blind due to his power. Clairvoyant can see and hear anywhere and has the wherewithal to process what he sees, and can also project it to other people. They work together to open and close portals where we need them to."

"There is a slight problem with that idea," says Alexandria.

"Once Clairvoyant stops touching his recipient, they become overwhelmed by it and tend to be stuck in bed for at least a week due to that. He and Doormaker never stop touching."

"Can he project it to multiple people?"

"He automatically projects to everyone he is touching."

"Okay. So I consent to trying that, but lack the knowledge to get a good time for when."

    "It... might not be the best idea to test it right now. If your power turns out not to work through him, you will be unavailable for a week, and the Simurgh might want to get revenge then."

"The Endbringers have never tried that," says Eidolon.

    "They've never tried to rescue one another, either. We're dealing with something on an entirely different scale, here."

"Now would be a bad time," she agrees. "Is there a plan for if the Simurgh wants vengeance?"

"We don't have much in the way of plans when it comes to Endbringers. Currently our best idea was finding her with a telescope and having you shunt her to another universe as fast as we could, and then checking with Clairvoyant to see if you could then move her to a black hole or a neutron star."

"During the attack, a while before Leviathan disappeared."

"Doctor, I trust you can get a good enough telescope to see the Simurgh soon?"

"We started looking into it as soon as you told us about Morgan. There's a tinker that owes us a favor currently working in Alaska, but you'll need to fly there."

"Of course."

Alexandria speaks into her earpiece, requesting transportation.

"I can fly us there, if it'd be faster. Might need directing, though, so."

Alexandria shakes her head. "It'd be strange if we didn't leave with Protectorate vehicles. Once no one's looking though that might be a better idea."

They leave by tinker jet. Eventually they're high enough and going fast enough that Morgan can move them the rest of the way to Alaska.

She can just move the jet. This involves going to the cockpit so she can see what she's doing well enough, but that's not very hard. She accelerates slowly so as not to hurt the jet or its passengers, and starts to decelerate before they get there for the same reason. At no point in time do they reach her top speed, but she needs them to show her where the telescope is. So, she'll keep it sane.

It's still really fast, though Legend catches up with them mid-trip (he's mostly made of light at that point).

"We found Mary O'Brien and brought her somewhere safer," Alexandria says at one point during the trip.

"Absolutely," says Alexandria.

Eventually they arrive. Legend stops being light.

"Yes there is and yes we have, but she hasn't returned that we've noticed. The only reason the Protectorate is not freaking out about her is because we know you're behind her disappearance."

Well, mostly know.

"Ah. ... Think she's hiding behind the Moon?"

"That would be entirely within the realm of possibility." Alexandria doesn't mention Clairvoyant because: other people.

...well it is now time for the Tinker in residence to brag! Brag using words like 'titanium alloy' and such, about how this telescope could withstand being thrown at the Moon, yadda yadda. Basically it's really really strong and holds up pretty well in a vacuum.

"Excellent. So how does everyone feel about putting this in space with some doodads that make navigation easier and having it orbiting the Earth during the the next Simurgh attack? Since I can't get near her anyway..."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," says Alexandria, who really can't mention Clairvoyant knowing exactly where the Simurgh is. "The next attack is likely to be Behemoth, though, if the Simurgh is evading us like this. We need to assume she'll find a way to continue doing so, if she has been able to work to prevent you from finishing Leviathan off, until she decides to attack."

"Of course." He looks at the Tinker. "How long do you think it would take you to build something like that?"

"Er, a year? Propulsion or rockets or stuff like that aren't actually my specialty, very resistant and durable things is."

"No rockets are necessary to get it into orbit," she assures. "What if it's just a navigation system to help with corrections to orbit?"

"Well, with someone else's help I could get something done in four to six months, probably."

"Yeah, definitely."

"Excellent. Are you willing to do that, and what do you need in order to do it?"

There is a large list of materials and parts, as well as the need for people willing to help with building (it's a telescope you can't build it by yourself and now that they have this one the research agency he works for isn't willing to pay for more) and an actual location.

Legend assures him that the Protectorate will cover his expenses, this is very important and might just be the best shot they've had against the Endbringers in a long time.

"Some of that will depend on your public image," says Legend. "But we should probably talk about this in the jet."

The jet starts flying. Alexandria and Eidolon should return to their respective teams.

"Well, that's part of the situation. People don't know that the new cape who was very helpful with disaster relief is the same cape who made Leviathan and the Simurgh disappear, and if you're going to start doing things in public, whether or not you're with the Protectorate matters a great deal."

"I think I need to start doing things in public, the effects of my powers can scale if I use 'em to build factories," says Morgan. "So, yeah. What does being part of the Protectorate entail?"

"Being on a team, going on patrols, helping out against villains, showing up to public events sometimes, having backup when you need it. Day-to-day it's mostly patrolling and helping people out in cape-related ways, with the authority of the Protectorate behind you so people respect you right off the bat."

"Cape-related ways aren't necessarily just fighting, though there's a lot of that going on, with at least two villains for every hero. But we also help out with disaster prevention and relief, for example.

"However, you could also be an independent, the Protectorate actually encourages parahumans not to go into the cape-versus-cape business. It would be harder for you to coordinate with others if you did end up in a fight, but if you're not planning on fighting at all other than against threats like the Endbringers you don't really need to join up."

The jet slows down for Alexandria to jump off and enter another jet waiting for her.

"Mm. I'm not against fighting villains, just - any time I'd be on a patrol, looking for villains to maybe fight, I could be sending arrays of satellites into space, or building factories, or clearing out rubble and helping with construction, or helping people colonize Mars, or any number of things. I want to coordinate with the Protectorate, want to pitch in if there's a villain or major disaster you'd need help with, but for every day keeping the streets clear?" She raises her eyebrows. "I could be helping so much more instead."

Legend nods. "Well, you wouldn't be the first independent the Protectorate's worked with on a regular basis, and if you assisted on capturing villains and didn't break any laws while doing so, we wouldn't get in your way. We'd definitely welcome help against people like the Slaughterhouse Nine."

"Okay. So, independent but besties with the Protectorate. I can work with that. Can I possibly get assistants, through the Protectorate, or recommended by you? Have a lawyer to go over what is and isn't illegal for an independent, have some people to sort through what my available power options are, maybe someone for PR? If I can't make the money to pay them I'm not trying hard enough, that's not the issue. I don't know people yet."

"There are a few lawyers that are known for working with parahumans, but most of the people that work with the Protectorate work exclusively for us. We have our own legal, branding, and marketing departments, with full-time employees. You'd have access to those for free if you joined up."

"I am willing to join up," she sighs. "But I am a valuable resource that would be wasted if you had me as a standard hero. Is there a non-patrol option?"

"The problem with opening an exception to you would be that other people would want exceptions as well, and even though patrolling heroes on average don't end up running into any trouble, sometimes they do, and the very fact that they patrol has a deterrence effect on crime."

"...there are fewer than you'd expect," Legend admits. "Parahumans tend to be very combative by nature. Many theorize that the fact that we all get our powers from traumatic experiences has much to do with this. And it doesn't help that most powers have very few non-combat uses, and tend to work better when being used in fights. No one knows why."

"Do you have zero capes that would be fantastic for things other than fighting people?"

"Not zero, we were just in a meeting with someone who uses their powers for non-fighting reasons, but you'd be surprised. And again, many powers noticeably work better when being used for fighting people, even Tinker powers."

"I meant in the Protectorate."

"A few, yes, but none of them has expressed a desire to do something other than fighting. Especially because, even with every hero of the Protectorate willing to fight, we're still hopelessly outnumbered and often outgunned. We'll use every hand we can, because we really need them."

"We can probably provide you with a mobile phone and help you find somewhere to live, with some of the relief fund for victims of Endbringer attacks, there's probably some technicality that will cover you."

Especially if she really is Mary O'Brien's projection, he does not say.

"All right. Thanks." Pause. "And if either of you have two minutes and a marker or something, I know how to draw at least one safe summoning circle, and we can see if we can summon anyone."

"We don't really have any appropriate writing implements here, but if you could summon more of your kind, why didn't you do that before?"

"I can't. Humans only. One of you would have to finish the circle and be the summoner."

"Ah."

"We can arrange that once we reach New York." Pause. "We didn't actually ask you, we're dropping Eidolon off in Houston and going to New York, but if you want to go anywhere else...?"

"New York's fine for me. I don't really need a jet to go anywhere in the world," she says dryly.

"Good point," chuckles Legend. "We can try to summon more daeva when we get there. Are they likely to be as... prosocial as you are?"

"We'll be attempting to summon a friend of mine," she explains. "I've worked with him before. He's a different type of daeva than I am - the kind that changes things. Nice guy, won't mind sticking around, will be as prosocial as I am. Don't freak out at his appearance, he likes looking like the rainbow man."

"We're pretty used to people who don't look like garden-variety humans. Hell, we fight each other in spandex."

Snort. "The spandex was what clued me in to not being on the Earth I knew. Terrifying monster causing destruction? Yeah okay, not impossible. Spandex?" She smiles, and shakes her head.

Legend laughs.

The jet slows down and Eidolon drops off.

"Well. It is customary, but that has more to do with... Earthly history... than anything. By the time parahumans started appearing, there existed cultural memes about superpowered people fighting in spandex, and that's the niche we started occupying. And most people have the masks and costumes to protect their civil identities, their loved ones, their jobs, et cetera."

She smiles, and nods. "I'll keep to theme, just not with the mask. No secret identity to keep, unless I chopped off my wings. Which - no, pass. And the costume seems... fun. Besides, I don't want to scream 'I am a fairy from another dimension.'" Pause. "Or say it, ever. It sounds quite insane."

"Saying 'I am a parahuman from another dimension' might sound a little bit less insane, the existence of other Earths is common knowledge since Professor Haywire opened a portal to Aleph in the eighties. But it's probably best if you don't, people might try to get to you to access this other dimension and that's probably going to be ugly."

"A bit. But I'm not sure I can play being from here very well. I didn't have a childhood, for example, I just appeared fully grown on the outskirts of a city, slightly confused. So that'll be fun. Maybe I can be extremely mysterious and get away with it..."

"Being extremely mysterious would help, though without a mask it would be mostly strange. You could also claim to be a Case 53—those are parahumans with heavily modified physiologies who tend to appear without memories of their life as a regularly... shaped... human, or of their trigger events." He gestures at the wings. "It'd explain the wings and the memories."

"They vary a lot. You are definitely on the prettier end, some Case 53s don't even resemble humans. The most common effect is something in-between, like horns, differently colored skin, altered but still humanoid shape, stuff like that."

Nod. "So I'd be a weird special snowflake but not unprecedented." Pause. "Well. Maybe a little unprecedented, what with taking Leviathan into space."

Chuckle. "Yes, that part is fairly unprecedented."

"Who, Leviathan? They don't usually seem to express much in the way of emotions, except inasmuch as continuing to come back and attack us might express something. But much about this situation is new, so it's possible that his reaction will be worse than usual."

She shrugs. "We'll see, I suppose. Either way, I'll be helping with Endbringer prep work. Along with lots of other things." Morgan smiles wryly. "Any requests?"

"Don't become a villain?"

Blink. "I wish you the best of luck in that. Boosting our numbers while reducing theirs is always a good thing, even if they can sometimes be a PR nightmare."

"Is PR that big of a deal here? Obviously it matters, but I'm wondering how much it matters."

"Frankly, quite a bit. One of the Protectorate's main objectives is making the existence of parahumans something good for the people. Countries without organized or centralized parahuman presence tend to devolve into feudal parahuman overlords with a population that fears and hates powers. We need to provide an image of parahumans as a force for good, to give young triggers something to aspire for, and good PR is paramount."

Legend nods. "We all would, and all help is welcome."

"I'll find you someone's contact once we arrive."

"I appreciate it."

And soon enough: they have arrived!

"...that's an interesting world you come from," Legend says, watching the process.

"I'm not worried about my afterlife," Legend says smoothly. "What must I do?"

"Which kind of daeva did you say your friend was again?" asks Legend a bit warily.

"The kind that changes things."

"I would like you to explain to me the reasoning behind not using one of those bindings you mentioned, though I am thankful you told me they exist at all."

"I believe you trust your friend," he says, trying to be delicate. "I also know you spent a few minutes around the Simurgh. How sure are you you trusted them before being in contact with her?"

He sighs. "Well, as far as we know, the Simurgh doesn't affect long term memories. Let's see if this will work, then. Do I have to do anything other than complete the circle?"

"No. But I can switch it to a circle to summon a fairy if you'd prefer."

His eyebrows raise in surprise. "So you were considering that."

"It's a possibility." She smiles at Legend a bit. "I might have misinformation, but I assure you, I'm not crazy."

"If your entire history is completely fabricated, the line is pretty thin," he says, smiling a bit.

"I disagree. I am still capable of sincerely asking myself if I'm crazy or not, I have quite a lot of self awareness, and I'm not - taking conclusions I've reached through my memories and running off with them anymore. I have not just assumed that I am definitely correct because that's what my memories say. I am not interested in hurting people and want to help society at large. But if I am crazy, I'm a very convenient kind of crazy."

"Sorry, that's not what I meant. You are definitely possessed of all your cognitive faculties to the extent I can determine."

"Well. Given that either your arrival here is a terribly lucky fluke or you are one of the strongest parahumans or parahuman-effects to ever appear, we should make the best of it. What are your plans?"

"Lawyer. Possibly followed by talking to a superhero outfit designer of some kind so I can easily fit in instead of running around in clothes a size too big that someone handed to me. Then something large scale and helpful that'll net me a lot of money very quickly, followed by hiring someone to manage my PR and an agent to help me sort through all of the things I need to do, along with living conditions and general amenities. During down time, researching everyone of interest in the world, paying special attention to villains that seem like they've been handed a bad hand in life."

He blinks. "Well, I'm glad you have it all figured out, then. And I promised you I'd find the number of a good lawyer when we arrived, right. Let's go find it. And the Protectorate can pay for your housing while you don't have any money, I'm pretty sure, you're not technically a victim of the Leviathan attack but you did end up homeless because of it, in a roundabout way."

Morgan snorts. "I mean, I'd like a place to live, but I don't need to eat or sleep, so it's not a huge priority of mine. I'd rather have a comfortable fortune and people to help me use my powers intelligently first."

He laughs. "That can certainly be arranged. Now, let's see..." He doesn't sit, looking for a certain business card in his first drawer.

His office is quite well-organized, with neat little piles of papers that seem to indicate someone who is very busy but also very on top of it, all labels and files and boxes.

Morgan doesn't snoop. She waits for her business card with utmost patience.

He finds it fast enough, and hands it to her. "There we go. Mrs. Dallon is one of the best you'll find. She's based in Brockton Bay, but she's reachable by phone and email easily enough."

"...yes, yes you will." He unlocks his computer and taps a few things. "You'll get a PRT-issue disposable one, as well as information about a bank account that will have some money from the relief fund. It should be enough to buy you a better one and food and live in a hostel for a while though you won't be needing that I think. You'll get more money soon, but it won't be as much as your account started with."

"Excellent. Thanks."

"Not off the top of my head, no," he chuckles. "Well, good luck, then."

Yes! Yes she does! Sweet money!

As for the illegal part, one Carol Dallon has been recommended for a good reason: she's a cape herself, called Brandish, part of a movement trying to push for less secretiveness and more accountability for heroes. She has quite reasonable rates, for Morgan's expected earnings, too. And if she's contacted about jobs, she will helpfully inform Morgan of various regulatory hoops she will have to jump through to be allowed to use her powers for a regular job.

Unfortunately, there aren't any people publicly offering services in figuring out how to do good with macro telekinesis. The Parahumans Online Forums have been abuzz with activity relating to her ever since she disappeared the Ash Beast. For that matter, she has in fact made the news, though she's "an unknown parahuman." The Forums have a few people speculating about whether she had anything to do with Leviathan, and some even wonder about the Simurgh, but those are mostly being labeled tinfoil hats.

People who work on costumes exist, in large quantities, but her requirements about it might make them pretty expensive—perhaps more than she has left, depending on how she's been spending it.

The admin informs her that there is a program that automatically detects whether she is or is not who she's claiming to be after she has posted a couple of times.

what did you do to him?

were you behind the Simurgh too?

That's crazy, the Simurgh just left long before Leviathan.

well it has to be asked!

you need a cape name, we can't just keep calling you notinoz

what does that even mean anyway, noti noz?

It's probably Not In Oz.

Oh, why that name?

guys, we should probably be helping her get rid of really ridiculously big threats

What about Nilbog?

Is he really doing much of anything where he is?

well ash beast wasnt super threatening either and nilbog is class s

youve already seen these movies since you arrived? newfoundland was like three weeks ago

Well, Morgan doesn't sound very cape-y...

which means there's literally no one else with that cape name

Point.

well what are your actual powers?

You can probably move things to space, but that's a pretty specific power.

do you like musicals?

star wars is good and theres different versions if u kno where 2 look

Did you go to space with Leviathan?

She will notice she is now Verified.

damn if that was telekinesis you could beat the Trio

Not Eidolon, he can probably just become immune to her.

...the conversation very quickly devolves into lots of people arguing who'd beat whom in a fight, asking her more questions about limitations to her powers, etc. A few people suggest several different movies, and they explain to her about Earth Aleph and its version of Star Wars.

A few more suggestions of possible targets for her crop up, like Moord Nag or the Three Blasphemies. No one really thinks she can deal with the Blasphemies, though, not the least because apparently no one can even keep track of them, they're worse than the Nine in that respect.

A couple of A-class threats are mentioned as well, but those start coming close enough to being actual people that sending them to space might not be considered terribly moral. And a lot of those are in the Birdcage anyway, so, not much point.

Yes, pretty much. Speculation isn't as wild or long when the cape being speculated about actually comments on it and answers questions and gives them a basis for analysis.

That... really depends on what she wants to talk about. Just calling the Protectorate won't connect her with anyone of note. I mean, of course they believe she's really Morgan, yes, they know she took Leviathan to space, no, they absolutely do not think she's a loony calling them up like the previous five hundred twenty seven calls this week, but see, busy people are busy.

"Of course you're yourself," the woman with the pleasant voice says over the phone. "And yes, the best way to schedule an appointment is in person."

"Morgan. No last name."

The lady types into her computer. "Deputy Chief Director Reinhold will be able to see you tomorrow at 9AM. Is that acceptable?"

"Perfect, thank you," she says agreeably. "Have a lovely day."

"You, too!" she says as she hands Morgan a sheet of paper with printed information looking very Official, as well as a watermark thing that's probably impossible to copy and Tinker-made.

The door opens and a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar on his right cheek walks in, wearing a suit and carrying a work suitcase but possessing an air of 'ex-military.' He doesn't even blink upon seeing Morgan's costume, and at no signal of his the PRT officer leaves the room, closing the door behind themself.

"You must be Morgan. I am Deputy Chief Director Reinhold. It is a great pleasure to meet you," he says in a deep voice, extending his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," she says, standing and accepting the handshake.

His handshake is exactly as you'd expect given his description. He takes a seat not directly opposite to where she'd been sitting since there's an odd number of them but almost, and gestures for her to do the same. The table is small enough that it doesn't feel too impersonal.

"So, I've heard very good things about you, what with Leviathan and the Ash Beast. How can the PRT be of help?"

"Well, I'd like to take out the Slaughterhouse Nine," says Morgan, as if she's saying 'I'd like to go to the store and buy some bread,' "but I lack accurate information on all of its members' capabilities, particularly the Siberian."

Now she has managed to draw a reaction from Reinhold, even if it's just a blink. "Well, before anything I wish you the best of luck, and might ask you to inform us if and when you do decide to take them on, for reasons that will become apparent."

He clears his throat and opens the laptop he brought in his suitcase.

"The Slaughterhouse Nine is supposed to have nine members, but our latest information on them, up to date as of last November, lists only eight. They may have recruited more since, but they've been silent."

The Deputy Chief Director taps a few keys into his laptop and his screen reflects on a flat-screen TV on one of the walls. There is a list of eight members there: Jack Slash, the Siberian, Winter, Chuckles, Nice Guy, Screamer, Miasma, and Shatterbird.

"I was not planning to do anything rash or attack such a powerful target without informing you," she assures, because that is exactly the thing that would give her tactical nightmares about a super powered solo individual. "And did not in fact mean right now. If an opportunity where they're weakened opens up, I'd like to take advantage."

He nods curtly. "Good to know. That said, it's not unlikely that they will come after you, either to recruit you or test you. They like causing mayhem around particularly effective heroes or other similarly inclined people and projects, so you being informed of this is a good choice anyway." He clicks Jack Slash's name. A file with a picture opens, as well as a description of powers, a list of crimes, a psychological profile, an estimated age, etc. "Their leader is Jack Slash. His power is distorting space around blades he holds, giving them extra reach, as well as proportionally improved durability and sharpness. Do not underestimate him, though, he is the single longest-surviving parahuman with a kill order on his head. He's a tactical genius as well as a master manipulator; we suspect he's the only thing holding the Nine together."

Solemn nod. This is all stuff she's heard before, but it's still important to pay attention. "Any known defenses, of his own or by one of the others?."

"Yes." He returns to the previous page and then clicks the Siberian. "The Siberian is both an immovable object and an unstoppable force. Furthermore, she can extend those traits to people who are touching her, if she so desires, so any member of the Nine who is touching her should be assumed to be completely invincible."

"Absolute," he says, as if there was no question to it. "If you threw the Moon at the Siberian it would have a Siberian-shaped hole in it. If she decides to move to a given location, she will move to that given location, period, and whatever gets in her way will either be destroyed or just pushed away depending on how fast she decides to go. She usually doesn't go too fast, she likes walking at a leisurely pace, but she's faster than all of our strength-based speedsters."

He nods gravely then moves on to the next member, a woman with white hair and white irises edged in black. "Winter's power is creating a dampening effect that causes locations to lose heat, moving objects to lose inertia, and humans to lose will. If she is around someone, her influence can slowly cause the person to be unable to do anything, and only watch passively as even the most horrific of tortures is applied to them. They do not stop feeling pain, however; they merely do not have the mental capacity to react to it in any meaningful way. She is also proficient with firearms, and frequently uses a sniper rifle to maim her targets. She doesn't typically kill them with it, though. She prefers doing it personally."

"She has a range, though we are not currently sure what it is, and her effects are weaker the farther away from her you are."

She shakes her head. "He could potentially combine well with one of the others to cause trouble, if Jack or someone used him intelligently, but no. Not on his own."

"Nice Guy, might be almost on par with the Siberian in danger-level. It is impossible to see him as a threat. He may be stabbing you to death and you still won't know what hit you. You'll still know he's there, mind you, but the idea that he could be anything other than an innocent bystander would never cross your mind."

"... Does he otherwise have ordinary human capabilities?"

"Yes."

"Can he stretch his power to people besides himself?"

"No, only himself."

"Does his range extend to people looking through cameras?"

"He has never been caught on camera, we do not know, assume yes."

"When you say 'I could not think of him as anything but an innocent bystander,' do you mean that exactly? Not 'I could not think of him as anything but my most trusted friend' or 'I do not acknowledge his existence at all'?"

"I mean you will be unable to believe he is capable of causing harm while he is around."

"Do you know if I keep my preferences for personal space?"

"If he is violating them to cause harm, you do not."

"What's the definition of harm? Purely physical?"

"He has not attempted any other kind that we know of."

"Could he talk me into agreeing, to, say, rip my own head off, or is it purely the acts of violence that he himself does that are ignored?"

"Probably the latter, but he hasn't tried that to our knowledge either."

"Does he make me not think I am being harmed?"

"No, but you will be very confused about the source of the harm. And typically he kills his target fairly quickly and leaves their colleagues to wonder what just happened."

"My go-to method for hurting the Leviathan was to telekinetically throw myself at him as fast as I could to hit him, over and over," says Morgan, flatly. "If he only has human capabilities, he would be physically incapable of hurting me beyond a scratch. My concern is not that he could hurt me and I couldn't see it coming, it is that he could potentially warp my definition of what hurts me, or convince me to hurt myself."